Black Butte Mine
Owner
Joint venture:
Black Butte Coal Company, a member of Kiewit Mining Group Inc.
Anadarko Petroleum
Mine Contact
Steve Mullaney, (307) 352-6200, Point of Rocks, Wyoming
Location
Southwest, Wyoming
Rail Loading Point
Point of Rocks, Wyoming
Background on Mine
Black Butte Coal Company (BBCC) was formed in 1974 and began shipping coal in 1979. BBCC is a surface coal operation utilizing dragline and truck/shovel equipment. Coal is mined from three active mining areas and is transported to our unit train loading facilities, either directly by over-the-road truck or on overland conveyor systems. Unit train loading operations are maintained seven days a week. Each train loaded is sampled, weighed, and flood-loaded. In addition, BBCC has the ability to produce a specialty coal for use in the local industrial market.
Black Butte produces coal from three active mining areas. As such, we have the advantage to adjust coal quality and can provide a complete custom blending capability in order to match our coal to the specfic needs of customers. Black Butte employs the use of an independent commercial testing lab on-site in order to provide quick coal quality results to our customers. Black Butte's goal is to match our product and services to our customers' needs.
Mine Type
Surface
Annual Production (2004)
4 million tons
Current Annual Production Capacity
4 million tons
Rail Loading Point Storage Capacity
Three coal storage silos totaling 40,500 ton capacity.
Loadout Description and/or Configuration
Unit train loop track
Weighing System
Ramsey belt scales
System Used to Assure Maximum Loading Per Car
Continuous scale monitoring matching cumulative car weights to specific target load rates.
Loading Rate Per Hour
6,000 tons
Storage Recharge Rate
3,000 tons per hour
Load Track Configuration and Capacity
Loop track–110 cars per train
Loading Mode
Flood loading
Train Loading Capacity
Unit train loading within 2-4 hours
Maximum Cars Per Train
110 cars
Washing Capability
None
Coal Specifications
Sub-bituminous C, 9,400-10,000 Btu/lb., 0.3-0.7% Sulphur
| Composition Analysis (%) | ||
| Moisture | 18-21 | |
| Ash | 6-8 | |
| Volatile Matter | 28-32 | |
| Fixed Carbon | 38-47 | |
| Mineral Analysis of Ash (%) | |
| Silica | 51.3 |
| Alumina | 18.4 |
| Titania | 0.9 |
| Ferric Oxide | 5.4 |
| Lime | 8.7 |
| Magnesia | 2.6 |
| Potassium Oxide | 0.6 |
| Sodium Oxide | 2.5 |
| Sulphur Trioxide | 1.5 |
| Phos. Pentoxide | 0.9 |
| ASH Fusion Temperature (°F) | ||
| Reducing | ||
| Intial Deformation | 2,196 | |
| Softening (H=W) | 2,286 | |
| Softening (H=1/2W) | 2,326 | |
| Fluid | 2,408 | |
Hard Characteristics
Hardgrove Grindability Index 48